The Emperor Constantine, who lifted Christianity into power, murdered his wife Fausta, and his eldest son Crispus, the same year that he convened the Council of Nice to decide whether Jesus Christ was a man or the Son of God. The council decided that Christ was consubstantial with the father. This was in the year 325. We are thus indebted to a wife-murderer for settling the vexed question of the divinity of the Savior.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Ingersoll points out the irony of a murderous emperor convening a council to define Christ's divinity.
- In plain terms
- Constantine killed his family but settled what Christians believe about Jesus.
- What can you take from it?
- Question the moral authority behind religious history.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does the source of a belief matter?
- How much do you trust church history?
Another view
It simplifies a complex historical theological process into a single irony.
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